Florida Mandatory Reporters of Child Abuse and Neglect

Florida defines child abuse as any act that is willfully committed or threatened on a child that causes any mental, physical, or sexual injury or is likely to cause physical, mental, or emotional health to be considerably damaged ("State statutes search - Child welfare information gateway," n.d.).  This abuse can include an action or an omission that causes harm to the child.  Examples of abuse include when a person inflicts or allows injury to be inflicted on children, provides alcohol or substances to a child, leaves a child unsupervised, inappropriate or harsh discipline, abandoning or neglecting a child, using violent behavior in the presence of a child, uses unreasonable restraints, or commits or allows sexual battery to be committed on a child ("State statutes search - Child welfare information gateway," n.d.).  Child neglect occurs when a child is deprived or caused to be deprived of the necessary food, clothing, shelter, or medical treatment.  It can also occur when children are permitted to live in conditions that cause significant harm to the child’s physical, emotional, or mental health or they are in danger of having such harm caused to them ("State statutes search - Child welfare information gateway," n.d.).  

            Signs of child abuse may include marks on the child, behavior that indicates abuse, or statements during the counseling session that may indicate abuse (Remley & Herlihy, 2016).  Florida establishes standards for mandatory reporters of child abuse.  Mandatory reporters are physicians, nurses, or hospital personnel, other health or mental health professionals, specialists who utilize spiritual methods of healing, teachers or other school personnel, social workers, daycare workers, or other child care, foster care, residential or institutional workers, and law enforcement officers and judges.  The state also requires any other person who has knowledge of any child abuse or neglect to report.  Reports should be made when the individual becomes aware of the abuse or neglect ("State statutes search - Child welfare information gateway," n.d.).

            Florida has established a hotline that reporters of child abuse can call toll free, 1.800.96ABUSE (1.800.962.2873), or reports may be faxed or made by relay or Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD).  Reports may also be made via the internet at https://reportabuse.dcf.state.fl.us/.   A person who is required to report child abuse or neglect or prevents someone from reporting commits a felony of the third degree and if convicted, may be incarcerated for up to 5 years and fined $5,000 ("State statutes search - Child welfare information gateway," n.d.).

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References

Remley, T. P., & Herlihy, B. (2016). Ethical, legal, and professional issues in counseling (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

State statutes search - Child welfare information gateway. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/laws-policies/state/?CWIGFunctionsaction=statestatutes:main.getResults